Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to tilting propulsion devices, and in particular to safety accessories for such devices.
Description of the Related Art
Ever since Shane Chen invented the first motorized tilting propulsion device in 2012 (see U.S. Pat. No. 8,738,278, incorporated herein by reference), users of such devices have been falling off and subject to injury. The problem is particularly acute for new users who have not mastered the technique of operating the motorized tilting propulsion device. The dangers of operating one of these devices, often called “hoverboards,” is apparent, as described in “I Survived a Test Drive Aboard the Swagway X1 ‘Hover board’” by Lance Ulanoff (found at http://mashable.com/2015/09/29/swagway-x1-hoverboard/#qAbf1r7m.Pqi)(visited Mar. 10, 2016).
If the new user does not keep his feet level when mounting the tilting propulsion device, the board will pitch forward or backward, tossing the user to the ground. Also, new users tend to have problems dismounting from the titling propulsion devices without excessive pitching. Moreover, because new users have not yet mastered the art of tilting the tilting propulsion device during operation, many of them overextend the tilt angle, causing them to fall as well as cause damage to the device and potentially causing injury. Moreover, because the speed of the device is related to the tilt angle, users are often going faster than anticipated when they fall.
In the art, it was known to attach “training wheels” to tiling propulsion devices, similar to what is used on bicycles. Essentially, these are either permanently attached to limit the tilt angle, or have an “extension rod” that must be attached by screws or rivets. They do nothing to slow down the device, but rather limit the tilt angle to help keep the user upright. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 9,126,487, particularly at FIG. 10 and col. 27, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,083,178, particularly at FIGS. 6 and 7 and col. 6.
Particularly for motorized tilting devices, what is needed is a device that can also limit the rate of speed, especially during the learning curve. Preferably, the device could also protect the outer surface of the tilting propulsion device without the need for marring the surface either by scuffing, or through requiring ugly extensions that require screws or rivets to attach to the tilting propulsion device.